When light passes from one medium to another then which of the following parameters may change?
Velocity, frequency, colour or wavelenght?
When light passes from one medium to another, the velocity, frequency, and wavelength of the light may change.
To understand why, we need to consider the properties of light and how it interacts with different media. Light waves can be described by their frequency and wavelength. Frequency refers to the number of wave cycles that pass a given point in one second, while wavelength refers to the distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs of a wave.
The velocity of light depends on the medium through which it is traveling. In a vacuum, light travels at a constant speed known as the speed of light, which is approximately 299,792 kilometers per second. However, when light enters a different medium, such as air, water, or glass, its velocity changes. This change in velocity is due to the interaction of light with the atoms or molecules in the medium, which can cause the light to slow down or speed up.
The frequency of light, on the other hand, remains constant regardless of the medium it is passing through. This means that the number of wave cycles per second remains the same.
The wavelength of light can change when it passes from one medium to another. The wavelength is inversely proportional to the velocity of light in a given medium. So, when light slows down in a new medium, its wavelength becomes shorter, and when it speeds up, its wavelength becomes longer. This relationship is known as the wavelength-frequency relationship or the wave equation: wavelength = velocity/frequency.
Color is a perception that is influenced by the specific frequencies of light. Different colors correspond to different frequencies of light. When light passes from one medium to another, the frequency of the light remains constant, so the color of the light does not change. However, the change in velocity and wavelength of the light can affect how it is perceived, such as through refraction or dispersion.